Brother, Flower, Captain, Song
by lil'hawkeye3
Summary: He told her stories, leading her to dream of falling for her Captain in a dark cloak, fighting alongside the loyal melody, showing the flower the sunlight. After a choice sends her tumbling through the Vortex, she begins to live the timeline in the wrong order, leaving her with loads of spoilers and truths she wished she didn't know... (Not an OC/Doctor pairing)
1. The Man in the Leather Jacket

**A/N: This is a work in progress, so depending on how many people like it I'll continue to write and post. **

**I do not own any characters except for for Aria Gles.**

"That was fantastic!" the man in the leather jacket exclaimed as he closed the door behind him, panting ever so slightly. Traveling by himself, he had accidentally landed on the wrong planet in the wrong time, stuck during the reign of a controlling and particularly cruel monarchy. Being his usual self hadn't worked out, for after insulting the king and his family- mind you, not that he consciously realized he was offending them- he had been sentenced to execution. However, a two kilometer run back to his camouflaged ship sometimes left even aliens tired.

He walked up the grated ramp that led to a circular console in the middle of the large and orange coral control room, lovingly stroking the controls. "You want to choose where we go next, you sexy thing?" A grin spread across his face as the machine purred beneath him, several buttons lighting up in response to his request. He laughed with glee as he raced madly around the console, flipping several levers and pressing a few more buttons as his ship began to shake. He held on to the console, smiling up at the screen that hung from the cylindrical middle of the console. The shaking stopped suddenly, causing the man to type something in on a keyboard that had swung around to rest underneath the screen. "Rural New York, America, 2003? Must be important, you know how Americans react to anything they don't understand." He smirked as he felt his ship give an amused nudge in his mind; in response he ran his hand along one of her railings as he strutted down the ramp.

The man in the leather jacket opened the door to his ship, closing it behind him as he stepped onto the damp morning grass. A colonial-styled house sat in a cleared out section of a wooded area, its light paint dull beneath the cloudy sky.

He approached the building slowly, drawing a strange looking metallic object out and holding it in front of him almost like a gun. A creak sounded, shattering the cricket's rhythmic chirping and drawing the man's attention. He cautiously climbed the house's front steps up to the porch, pausing as he saw a small foot slide out of sight behind a column. He desperately hoped that nothing "supernatural" was going on , because he was not particularly in the mood for it.

"Hello?" he called out in a low voice. A quiet whimper floated back towards him, so he tried again. "You can come out, I won't hurt you."

A pair of large hazel eyes peeked out from where they were hiding. "Promise?" a small voice accompanying them asked.

"'Course I do!" the man answered, lowering his metallic device and crouching down so that his blue eyes were at the same level as the innocent hazel ones. He grinned as a young girl in a pink nightgown edged her way out from where she had been attempting to hide, nervously wringing her long black braided hair with one hand. She took several steps towards him, peering curiously at him once they were a meter apart. The man had thought of several probable questions she might ask him, but wasn't exactly prepared for what spilled out of her mouth.

"Why do you sound funny?"

He teasingly glared at her, crossing his arms in mock annoyance. "I do not!"

She giggled into one hand. "Yes you do, Mister."

The man shook his head, a slight smile growing. "Not mister, Doctor. Call me the Doctor. What do they call you?"

The girl ignored his question, instead staring at the wooden blue box he had stepped out of when he had arrived. "How did you make your ship appear like that?"

The Doctor frowned, narrowing his eyes a bit. "How'd you know it was a ship?" he asked slowly.

The girl looked at him, her expression showing that she thought the question was a bit idiotic. "The engines made a noise. Besides, she told me." The girl skipped past the Doctor and down the steps, stopping to stare up at the blue phone box in awe. "She's pretty," he heard her say before one of the doors swung open on its own accord. She turned to look back at him, waiting patiently until he reached her side. He wasn't sure why his ship had opened the doors like that, and more puzzled on why the girl hadn't gone inside. That is, until he felt her tug on his jacket.

"Go right on in," he said with a large grin that masked the perplexity that he was encountering. It faded slightly into the background though as he watched the amazement grow on the girl's face.

"It's smaller on the outside," she said before racing up towards the console. It took the Doctor a moment to realize what she had said. It was… new, unique... strange.

"This is my TARDIS," he announced as the girl ran her hand along the edge of the console; she was too short to reach the highest buttons and levers. "She can travel anywhere in time and space, and she's alive."

"I know," the girl said like it was the simplest thing in the world. "She told me."

"She told you?"

"Yes. Why are you sad?"

The Doctor suddenly stopped, his hand halfway through typing something on the keyboard. "Why would I be sad?" he asked guardedly.

The girl didn't answer. Instead she ran around the console towards him, tripping once or twice on her nightgown, before she wrapped her arms around his legs, giving him the best hug she could for her height. The Doctor was a statue, frozen for a few moments, before he lifted the girl up so she could wrap her arms around his neck instead.

"I'm not sad now," he amended, and she smiled.

"I'm Aria," she finally told him, and he grinned widely at her.

"Pleased to meet you, Miss Aria. Aria, Aria, Ariaaa. Lovely name you've got." She giggled as he repeated her name, drawing out the syllables longer than they usually sounded. "How old are you, Miss Aria?"

"Five. How old are you, Doctor?"

He paused for a moment, deciding against telling this innocent creature about his long life. "Well, I'm much older than five."

"How much?" she attempted to ask through a large yawn, her eyes droopily shutting.

"Enough to write a good story," he whispered as she placed her head in the crook of his neck, sighing contentedly before nodding off about a minute later. He knew that she would never be able to join him on his travels, at least at this young age. Taking care not to jolt her awake, he walked out of the TARDIS and up the stairs to the front of Aria's house, pulling out his metallic device to unlock the front door. Closing it behind him, he climbed the stairs and followed the hallway on the second floor to its end, assuming correctly by the crayon drawings taped to the lower half of the door that it would be the girl's bedroom. He pushed on the door, which opened slowly with a few small squeaks before stepping into the room and setting Aria down gently on her bed, taking care to tuck her under the blankets.

His eyes stayed on her peaceful form for several moments, wondering what it was like to be innocent and carefree. The Time Lords were hardened through many years of education at the Academy, starting at an age not much older than she was. Even as children, everything had an educational reason behind them. Aria didn't realize how lucky she was.

The Doctor gazed down at Aria for several moments, wondering whether or not this would all be a dream to her.

He counted on it.

As the Time Lord turned to leave, a crinkle from under his feet drew his attention. He bent down, retrieving several crayon drawings. He reached into one of his bigger-on-the-inside pockets and held up his metal device, which created a soft blue glow along with a hum that softly lit up the room. The drawings shocked him. The TARDIS stood out on the first sheet, her top light glowing and 'POLICE BOX' sign clearly printed. The next showed an autumn toned scarf along with a leather jacket, one from a past life and one from his current face. A blonde girl with gold fire in her eyes covered the third, with the silhouette of Gallifrey's citadel burning outlined on the back. The last sheet had four faces drawn by a five year old's hand and labeled with her best spelling: the Hero, the Warrior, the Regretter, and the Forgetter.

The Doctor closed his eyes while gently pocketing the drawings. He recognized two of the faces, always trying to desperately forget the Hero's face, and living with the Warrior's mask. The other two faces he figured were his next lives, which both worried and intrigued him. How did a little, sweet, inquisitive child see images from his past, present, and future? He wondered if she had telepathic abilities; humans were known to exhibit those traits. She could possibly have a smidge of alien DNA from a past family member, it had been known to happen but he highly doubted it was the case here. Maybe some vortex energy had influenced her.

Whatever the case, the Doctor wasn't going to dwell on it until this child was older. He was _not_ going to corrupt such pure and youthful human with the dangers of the life he lived. At least, not yet. There wasn't anything he could do to take away the images she saw, and he felt guilty about that. He hated not being able to help someone, and he swore to himself that he'd come back for her once she was older.

The Doctor dug around in his pockets, grinning satisfiedly once his fingers brushed the cool metal of the object he was searching for. A small golden fob watch sat in the palm of his hand, the circular language of Gallifreyan gleaming on its cover as they spelled out the Doctor's true name, one that could bring the universe to its knees. Such a powerful word, even if whispered, and yet he was placing it in the small hand of this girl who was completely unaware of the power in her possession as she slept peacefully. The Doctor smiled, brushing a bit of hair that had strayed from Aria's braids out of her face. He wasn't going to forget her anytime soon.

The man in the leather jacket kissed the five year old on the forehead before leaving the bedroom, his mind still on the curious girl he left behind.


	2. The Man in the Bow Tie

**...and that's what happens when you have a coding program messing with your web clipboard XD yeah I didn't realized that had happened; sorry about that. Thanks to treesofsilverleaves for leaving the review about that :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters except Aria**

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A nine-year old Aria sat on a boulder outside her school building, head bent in concentration even as her classmates streamed past, shrieking in delight at the day being over. She was quiet, using a stick to trace what seemed like a random design of circles in the soft dirt below her. Her hazel eyes narrowed as she finished the sequence, a breeze blowing past as she whispered two words.

"My Doctor."

"What'd you say, freak?" A loud voice mocked from behind Aria, causing her to turn her head slowly, meeting her attacker's harsh gaze with her own. Her hand crept to her neck, where the small golden watch the Doctor had left for her hung. It flashed in the sunlight as she stroked it with her thumb.

"Doesn't matter what I said; bet you're too stupid to understand it," she retorted. Aria looked at the group of boys, a grade older than her, who stood in a cluster. The one in the middle she knew too well, his icy green eyes always seeming to bore into her wherever she went. His arms held several bruises from the last time he had attempted to harm Aria, not knowing then that she could defend herself. He hadn't forgiven the younger girl, and she wasn't about to apologize either.

Flanking him were three other boys who Aria had never heard utter a word before. The blonde's friends couldn't think for themselves, she was fairly sure. Whenever their leader was caught misbehaving and sent to the principal's office, they were disoriented, never knowing what to do. The mere thought of it almost brought a smile to her face.

"Did you just call us stupid?" the blonde asked through the fakest smile Aria had ever seen. The shrug she gave him was the last straw, for he lunged forward and grabbed her by one of her braided pigtails. The sharp action dragged Aria off the boulder, her feet just barely touching the ground as the boy's large hand held her hair tightly, the force not yet enough to tear any out, yet Aria still had to bite her tongue to keep from crying out. "Gonna cry for help, you little brat? Don't even have anyone left who cares about you."

Aria sniffled a bit, vainly attempting to stop tears from flowing freely down her cheeks. The boy was right, her mother was essentially never around and her father had left before she was born. No siblings, no real friends, just a babysitter who almost never showed up. Only her Doctor had ever given her the time of day, and she had only met him once five years ago. Her teachers had tried convincing her that her man in the leather jacket wasn't real, just a fatherly or brotherly figure she had conjured when lonely. She didn't believe them.

After all, would an imaginary friend leave her a watch?

She had never doubted her Doctor.

And now, she couldn't be happier. Hope filled her as she heard the sound of the TARDIS groaning. A smile flitted across her face as she forgot for a moment that she was currently being held captive by a bunch of bullies who had nothing better to do than harass a girl more than a year younger than them. Reality came rushing back as the blonde boy punched her in the stomach after seeing her budding joy. She grimaced and finally whimpered, falling to her knees as the kid released her hair. The guffaws from the boy and his gang rang in her ears as her vision blurred from brimming tears. However, as her watch grew warm and a tall figure wearing a red sort of hat came into view, Aria smiled despite her tears.

"That's not true. My Doctor cares about me," she said loudly. The boys were confused at first, not understanding what she was talking about until they followed her gaze, which was fixed on something behind them. A man wearing a bright red fez with floppy caramel hair falling over part of his face glared down at them coldly, his arms crossed. He wore a tweed jacket with a dress shirt, both suspenders and a bow tie showing. Dark pants and dress boots finished his polished professor-like look. The children's eyes widened in slight fear of the harshness in his eyes.

"If you're willing to pick a fight with a thousand year-old alien's little sister, then by all means, go ahead," he challenged them. The boys didn't waste a second before running past Aria and back towards the school's playground, glancing behind them and tripping several times in their haste. The Doctor narrowed his eyes, deciding against causing them any harm. The sound of Aria brushing herself off snapped his attention back to her.

"Doctor!" she cried, running into his open arms. He used her momentum to lift her up and spin her around, laughing as her giggles floated through the air. She grinned up at him after both her feet were on the ground once more, tipping her head a bit as she studied him. The Doctor had a sudden flashback as he noticed her playing with the end of her braid, remembering the time- so very many years ago for him- that he had first stumbled across Aria, a little five year old at the time. She wasn't much different now, a curious spark still shining in her eyes. "You're not so serious anymore."

The Doctor tugged a bit at his suspenders, his feet tapping nervously as he realized just how observant she was even at this age. He avoided her hazel gaze, glancing up at the sky and down at his boots as he did. "Well, 'course I'm not," he slightly stammered. "I've got you, haven't I?" He attempted a smile, looking back at her.

Aria ignored him, staring at his neck. "You're wearing a bow tie?" she pointed, standing on her tip toes to get a closer look. The Doctor proudly tugged at it, imagining how dashing he appeared.

"Yes," he affirmed. "Bow ties are cool." He leaned his head forward to inspect her, both hands shooting up quickly to keep his fez from falling off his mussed hair. "And so are fezes." A smug grin crossed his face as the young girl nodded eagerly.

"Can I wear it?" He grudgingly removed it and crouched down to her level, placing it on her as if it were a crown. Then again, he did treat it like one most of the time. He wasn't sure why nobody else besides Aria liked it. His wife especially had something against it. He didn't know why, and he didn't like not knowing. He rapidly shook his head, standing back up and offering his hand to Aria, who readily took it in her own smaller one.

"You still sound funny," she said, skipping alongside him.

"Oi!" he protested, sparking more giggles from the girl. "I do not sound 'funny!' You lot over here sound 'funny!'" He would have continued speaking, but both his and Aria's attention had been diverted to the magnificent blue box that stood in front of them. Aria raced up to the TARDIS, gently placing one hand on it, her eyes shining with excitement. The Doctor smiled, but it quickly turned into a frown as he felt his ship urgently nudge his mind, trying to warn him about something. His face went slack as Aria reached to open the door. "Wait!"

The girl turned to look at him. "What is it?"

He slightly pulled her away from the TARDIS, frantically trying to think of an excuse. "Um, well, you see… we had this… thing that happened, and… oh alright," he gave in as Aria crossed her arms stubbornly. "You can't go in there."

"Why not?"

"Because… well… because you're in there." He stopped talking as the door squeaked open, then began to fume as a red haired young woman popped her head out of the ship.

"Aw, Aria!" she cooed in a thick Scottish accent. "You were so cute!"

"Told you!" a voice from inside the TARDIS called, prompting a grin to spread across the ginger's face. "Now get back in here, Amy, you know how he gets when we mess with time." Amy winked at the little girl, whose jaw was dropped in- most likely- shock, before disappearing into the police box again.

Aria turned to stare confusedly at the Doctor, giggles escaping from her as he caught sight of him flapping his arms in frustration. "Who was that?"

The Doctor clapped one hand to his face and slid it down tiredly, sighing in exasperation. "That was Amelia Pond, who I SPECIFICALLY told NOT TO COME OUT!" He shouted several of the words at the TARDIS, directing them towards the fiery Scot who was inside. The responding laughter that floated out wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear.

Aria rolled her eyes and reached out to tug on his sleeve, effectively gaining his notice once more. "Will you play with me?" she asked, pointing towards the metal and plastic playground that stood in the direction they had originally come from. She looked up at him with tentative hope filling her still curious hazel eyes, just like they had all those years ago.

Sometimes the Doctor forgot how young Aria really was, so her request surprised him for a moment. He realized that while he was hundreds of years old and yet sometimes acted like a kid, she was the complete opposite, being so young yet wise beyond her age. To be honest, it scared him a bit. Growing up took away the fun in life, and if he could do anything to keep Aria full of fun and happiness, he was damn well going to do it.

Even if it was something as simple as playing on a playground.

A mischievous smirk spread across his face as he met Aria's gaze. "You're it," he said before racing off, the young girl following close behind.


	3. The Man in the Long Brown Coat

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters except Aria **

"How do I look?" the Doctor asked the TARDIS as he inspected himself in a large mirror. After about an hour of rifling through various articles of clothing, he had finally settled on something that, in his eyes, was worlds better than a striped bathrobe with apples in its pockets: a blue suit that was a bit too tight on him and was mostly covered by a light brown ankle-length trench coat. He wore bright red converses (because running often deserved comfortable shoes). He narrowed his eyes approvingly and ran a hand through his unruly brown hair, sighing in disappointment that he still wasn't a ginger. Ten- well actually eleven- lives and you'd think a guy could be a ginger at least once! Apparently not.

The Doctor smiled as the TARDIS hummed favorably towards his new look, though he sensed her remaining negativity from being teleported aboard another alien ship. She liked to fly on her own power, thank you very much.

Her alien captain's grin slightly faded as he picked up his sonic screwdriver and several folded papers from underneath it, both having been in his old leather jacket. His expression softened as he opened the sheets, staring reminiscently at the crayon drawings that covered them. The Doctor never forgot a person, never forgot a face. He would certainly never forget Aria. She had come to be a trusted friend, even if the version of her he planned on visiting didn't know that yet.

The Doctor raced out of the TARDIS' wardrobe and headed for the control room, tucking the screwdriver and drawings into his new pockets once he was there and realized he needed both hands free. As he began to type in coordinates into the console's controls, the situation of the golden age turned genocidal prime minister flashed to the front of his mind, and he resolved to deal with that problem later. He hoped that the Tylers -and Mickey- didn't hear the TARDIS' engines as he left them for the future; he would be coming back shortly and certainly didn't want another slap in the face from Jackie. Telling her to shut up had been one of the most refreshing moments of his life. Well, lives. Weeell, maybe not 'one of the most refreshing moments.' He couldn't deny it felt good though.

His lengthy and jumbled thought process ended abruptly as his ship stopped shaking, leaving him to waltz optimistically out of her doors. He stared a bit confusedly at the building that greeted him: a long brick building with minimal landscaping in front of it, a sole cannon statue standing in the withering grass. His first assumption was that the structure was a museum, but he was quickly proven wrong as a sign proclaiming "WILLIAMS MEMORIAL LIBRARY" caught his attention. That made him a bit more enthusiastic, and went in to search for Aria.

"Excuse me," he asked in his thick accent that stood out even more prominently than usual (ah, America), "has Aria Gles come in here today?" The old woman behind the desk smiled up at him before glancing at the computer screen beside her.

"Friend of hers?" she asked as she stood up from her seat.

He gave her a smirk. "Something like that."

The woman just chuckled before pointing down a hallway formed by the ends of bookcases. "She'll be at a table down in the aisle at the very end." She sat down and watched him set off to find Aria.

A girl who appeared to be in her early teens was exactly where the woman had said Aria would be, and a sudden bout of terror struck the Doctor. The Aria he had first met was five years old; he couldn't believe he had seemingly abandoned her! He stood beside the bookcase as he recovered from his shock before he began to watch her flip through the pages of a rather large history textbook that seemed to be written in German.

Her black hair was much longer now, hanging over her left shoulder in a French braid that reached her elbow, where it was tied with a red bow. She wore a black leather jacket, and it took the Doctor a minute to realize that it was similar to the one his previous life had worn. Along with that, she had baggy black cargo pants and red sneakers, although sadly (in the Doctor's opinion) they weren't converse. His gaze snapped back to her face as she softly cleared her throat and spoke.

"Well, Theta? Are you gonna stand there all day?" she asked without bothering to look at him. His eyes widened at the use of a nickname that had been given to him by past figures in his life. His feet moved without him really thinking about it and he sat down across from her, even as she continued to read the information that lay in front of her.

"How… how do you know that name?" he finally managed to choke out.

Aria finally put her book on the table and met his dark brown eyes with her clear hazel ones as she unzipped the top of her jacket, revealing the fob watch he had given her years ago to be hanging on its chain around her neck. "I could read the circles. Gallifreyan, I assume."

The Doctor nodded mutely, swallowing nervously. "You shouldn't be able to read that. How can you read that?"

She smiled secretively. "You taught me to."

"No I didn't! When did I ever teach you Gallifreyan?"

She tapped the watch. "I hear your voices in this. All of them, future, past and present." Her eyes gleamed with knowledge and memories that someone her age shouldn't have yet. Aria studied him for a moment before frowning. "You're only on your tenth body."

He arched an eyebrow. "Only? Is that meant to be bad? Do you not like me? Do you want me to change back?" It took all he could muster to lightheartedly repeat those words to Aria, so soon after saying them to Rose. He didn't want to be rejected, not by either of them. His hearts leaped joyfully as she shook her head.

"No. Your ninth hour is over, now it's time to live in the tenth." She mirrored his smile. "I was just curious because the last time I saw you obviously wasn't the last time you saw me."

The Doctor nodded absentmindedly, hyper focusing on several perplexing factors that he wanted answers to. "Yes, time isn't always linear. A bunch of wibbly wobbly… timey wimey… stuff. But that's something for another time." He reached into his suit and pulled out a pair of eyeglasses, which he put on before leaning forwards over the table, peering interestedly into her eyes. "There's a few things I don't understand. And I don't like not understanding things."

Aria smirked, gesturing with one hand for him to continue. "Ask away, Theta."

He frowned slightly as she called him by his nickname again; not that he didn't like it but because he was still getting used to the fact that she knew it. "Right. First…" his face took on a deadly serious expression. "You haven't started eating pears, have you?"

"I hate pears."

A grin broke out on his face. "Oh, lovely! That's very good. Pears are dreadful. Never eat a pear. Have bananas instead. Bananas are good. So much better-"

Aria rolled her eyes, reaching out to flick his forehead with her finger and laughing as the Doctor let out an indignant yelp. "Focus, Doctor."

"Right, sorry." He furrowed his eyebrows in deep thought before turning his gaze back on her. "First, no wait, second, how come you're reading German? Third, how did you know I was here? Fourth- yes, fourth I think- what happened to you?" The last question was laced with a sort of brotherly concern.

The girl sighed, twirling the end of her braid with her finger as she thought over how to answer his questions. Sadness crept onto the Doctor's face as he observed her hesitation. "I've been able to perfectly understand every language I've come across ever since you gave me this watch. Figured it's because of the little bit of you that lives in it." She crossed her arms, still refusing to look up. "The watch got warm right before I heard the TARDIS' breaks when you landed. And fourth," she paused, unsuccessfully trying to hide tears that threatened to spill, "I grew up."

The Doctor pouted a bit, wondering just what the fragment of him that had stayed with her all those years could have possibly done to affect her in such a way. Sure, he had only met a younger version of her once almost a decade earlier, but she meant so much more to him than she could ever understand yet. He pocketed his glasses, stood up and walked around the table, crouching beside Aria and wrapping his arms around her shoulders, allowing his chin to rest on the top of her head. She leaned into his chest, hands gripping securely onto his large trench coat.

"No, no, no, no, no," he murmured softly. "Don't do that; don't ever grow up on me." They remained in that position for several heartbeats before he felt Aria nod. He released her, holding out a hand to her as he stood up. She sniffled as she took it, a watery smile forming. "Now," he became cheery again as he somewhat dragged her out of the library, lazily waving to the old woman at the desk, "how would you like to go to a real library?"

"Who in their right mind pass up an opportunity to travel with you? Actually don't answer that," she amended as the Doctor opened his mouth. He gave her a wry smile, looking up and stooping once he realized that they were standing in front of the TARDIS. "Hello, old girl," Aria whispered, placing a hand on the wooden blue police box before she pushed open the door and skipped inside, leaving the Doctor and his flapping long brown coat to follow.

"I've missed you, you sexy thing!" His eyes widened as he heard Aria's voice call out. He started to panic; surely she didn't think of him in that way! He was quite sure that he hadn't been leading her on in any way. Maybe one of his future selves had done something stupid…

His horror-stricken feelings must have slipped onto his face because he heard Aria begin to laugh. She rolled out from behind the console, arms wrapped around her stomach and eyes squeezed shut tight. The Doctor walked over to her with a bit of a smirk, stopping to stare amusedly into her hazel eyes.

"Theta, sorry to burst your bubble, but I wouldn't call you sexy," she said once she retrieved her breath. "You're like my brother or something; that'd just be downright creepy."

"Or something?" he whined, acting hurt, which only sent Aria off into another fit of laughter. He sighed and stepped over her before beginning his mad dance around the console to fly the TARDIS. Aria calmed down just in time to grab ahold of a railing before the ship began to shake as usual.

"Is she supposed to shake like that?" she asked once the ship had stilled again. The Doctor stuck his tongue out at Aria as he ran towards her to grab her hand and half-drag her down the ramp. He opened the door for her like a gentleman, watching her expression almost expectantly as awe crept onto her face at seeing the vast amount of bookcases and people milling about the library.

The Doctor felt like Santa Claus, for he had just given Aria an early Christmas present.

Aria spun to look at him, her eyes wide. "What is this place?" she breathed, not even waiting for his answer before walking towards the nearest shelf of books, pulling the first one from its place. "'The Geological Mysteries of Midnight;' I don't think this is written in English."

The Doctor rocked backwards onto the heels of his feet and grinned. "You're a smart one. There wouldn't be much of anything from Earth in here yet; humans still haven't gone out into the stars yet." He watched Aria as she looked up from the pages of the book she was skimming to survey the people walking around. With a start, the Time Lord realized this was the first time she had seen non-humanoid aliens. He smiled slightly; it had been a while since he had seen someone look at his world with new eyes. "Come on," he put his arm around her shoulders, leading her deeper into the library. "A whole planet full of books should keep us occupied for a while."


	4. The Man with the Prominent Eyebrows

The raven haired girl glanced around at the busy street, finding the smallest things about passersby interesting. Her book was merely for appearances, as creating stories in her mind about each individual on the street was much more fun. Besides, it kept her mind off of certain things.

One little boy caught her eye as he ran past on wobbly legs, laughter ringing through the air. His innocence made her smile sadly, as she wondered what it would feel like to be young and completely carefree again. She sighed and rubbed the fob watch that hung around her neck.

If someone asked her, or at least someone she trusted, she would easily say that the watch was her most precious possession. The things it had taught her, that the voices inside of it had whispered to her every day and night as she lay awake and as she slept, dreaming of everything she'd do and see with the Doctor, her Doctor. His lives, all of them, had already taught her so many amazing things. How much better would it be in person?

She couldn't wait.

But, in the meantime, she was content with imagining backstories for the different people she saw.

For instance, the young man hurrying by with a bouquet in one hand and the other holding his cell phone to his ear was late for his anniversary with his girlfriend (as her was wearing no ring). The couple in their mid-forties was out for dinner, enjoying a night away from the kids. The quintet of girls with shopping bags dangling from the crooks of their elbows had just finished midterms and felt like celebrating by spending a good amount of their savings. The dark skinned woman was... walking up to her?

She was quite sure she'd never met this person in her life. Unless she had really been drunk that one time and didn't remember her... no, she was positive this wasn't the case. Whatever it was, the woman was still calling her name.

"Aria!" the woman smiled as she came to a stop in front of her. Aria wasn't sure what to say, merely nodding towards the empty space next to her on the bench. She silently surveyed the woman, seeing that she was wearing a black uniform with no visible insignia that Aria could see. The woman's dark chocolate gaze roamed over her face, searching for something that Aria knew deep down inside wouldn't be there. Aria was at a loss, for this woman seemed to care so much about her, but she didn't even know her name.

_Martha, Martha Jones,_ a voice from the watch whispered to her. His was the most familiar, especially since she had finally met him the previous year. He was ten, as she affectionately called him by the life number he was on.

"Aria... are you okay?" Martha leaned slightly forward, a worried crease forming on her forehead as she slightly frowned. Aria sighed, placing her book on her lap as she turned to face Martha, feeling guilty even though it wasn't her fault.

"Martha Jones," Aria paused, already seeing the disappointed look washing over her face. "You're from my future." Aria winced, wondering if she shouldn't have said it so bluntly as tears began to well up in Martha's eyes. The woman sighed.

"Figured as much, otherwise you wouldn't be looking this age around here." Martha smirked, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "I came back to visit, worked here for a while after having an adventure with Doctor and Donna. This city is similar to London; it always rebuilds stronger than before." She stood up and stretched. "If you haven't caught up though, then I suppose this is goodbye for now. Can't go telling you things you shouldn't know of."

Aria smiled. "I know the feeling. No spoilers, or things can end badly." She stood as well to shake Martha's outstretched hand, trying to suppress any physical signs of the sadness and longing of friendship her watch was emitting into her.

It wasn't that the Doctor's feelings influenced her at all, but more that she could feel what he felt. His happiness, his sadness... they held a link that couldn't be severed. At least, not easily.

"You'll see me soon, I suspect," Martha said before walking away, hands shoved in her pocket. She turned several steps later to look over her shoulder at Aria and winked. "Give that soldier of yours a kiss for me when you meet him!" Martha then vanished amongst the colorful throngs of (mainly) humans of New York City.

With a small smile, Aria turned to walk in the opposite direction, book in one hand, as she mused over her future-friend's words."Her soldier" had been mentioned several times by her watch, always as a companion of the flower and the Doctor and the song. She didn't like to try and decipher the future, which is one thing she suspected the Doctor and her would disagree on. Things could go sour if you tried to control them, especially something as powerful yet fragile as time. Time was something that only fools did not respect.

Aria snapped back to the present as she saw a hand reaching towards her from the shadows out of the corner of her eye. She sprung backwards, using the book in her hand to harshly smack the attacker's away and was rewarded with a harsh yelp followed by a string of curses.

"You humans! When will you ever stop and think first before you act?! The whole lot of you, with your guns and knives and forks..." Aria followed the voice into the dim alleyway, already knowing what to expect from the thick Scottish accent and vexed tone.

_Twelve, _the watch whispered, warming against her cool skin as they moved closer to the TARDIS, and consequently, the Doctor. _Twelve, twelve._

"Maybe you should refrain from grabbing your human companion's appendages when they are unaware you are the one standing in a dark alley and not a common criminal. Trust me, you are not a _common_ criminal, but how would I know that while walking by randomly?" Aria scowled at the silver haired man and crossed her arms as he scowled right back at her.

"Common criminal? You insult me."

"You insulted me! Now we're even." She stuck her tongue out at him, which only caused one of his prominent eyebrows to raise.

"Must you resort to such childish behavior?"

"Only if you're going to be this stubborn."

The Doctor sighed dramatically. "Remind me why I bothered to come here."

"That is extraordinarily difficult for me to do when you're from my future."

"'Extraordinarily difficult?'" He stepped towards Aria, who held her ground, arms still crossed. "Why is it not impossible?" He narrowed his eyes.

The girl finally relaxed, slipping her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. "Nothing's impossible, Theta." It took a moment for any reaction from either of them, but a grin did form on the Doctor's face.

"Hello, Miss Aria," he said slowly with a spark of joy in his eyes. Aria grinned back before throwing her arms around him. He stiffened slightly before giving in but not fully returning the gesture. "Yes, yes... okay that is quite enough, you can release me from your grasp."

Aria did so, hesitantly and with a victorious smirk. "So what'd you come here to tell me?" she asked, tipping her head to one side, not unlike a cat. The Doctor didn't say a word, instead releasing the fist his left hand had formed, holding it palm up for her to see what he held: a charm of a miniature flathead screwdriver. Aria stared at the accessory incredulously. "Is this supposed to be funny?"

"Only if you want it to be. Thought you could put it on your chain with your watch." He took her wrist to place it in her own hand before spinning on his heel to strut towards the darkest section of the alleyway, where Aria could now make out the dim glow of the TARDIS's light. She was still as a statue, even as the Doctor paused to look back at her from the doorway of the TARDIS. "I'll be coming for you soon, Aria Gles. Be ready."

Aria didn't move as the door creaked shut and the familiar groan of the TARDIS rang through the air as the madman and his box vanished.

_Tick tock_

Aria sighed with a smile before turning back towards the now empty spot and walking out of the alley, happiness making her heart feel lighter than ever.

_Twelve has struck_

This was his invitation, his warning. Next time she saw the wandering alien, she would be staying with him.

_The cycle now can start;_

Everything she had ever dreamed of could come true.

_Tick tock _

Aria stopped still as she finally realized that a young voice was saying a rhyme from within the watch.

_Goes the clock_

it whispered,

_For the soldier and Aria._


	5. The End of the World (for Rose)

Rose studied the Doctor as he sat across from her on the bench seat at the restaurant. She had been the one to suggest going out to get chips, and she had been the one to pay for them as well. Space aliens didn't have a few pounds in their pockets at any given time.

She hadn't answered when the Doctor had asked if she wanted to go home after seeing how dangerous it was. Truthfully, she had been terrified: for the others on the platform, for the Doctor, for herself. It wasn't being selfish, but she did feel bad for not answering. Hence the chips.

She found herself openly staring at him with a silly smile on her face as he munched on a chip, staring out the store front window to observe people walking past. His bright eyes looked ancient now, as if they had seen horrors she couldn't even conceive. The leather jacket only added to the mysterious effect, especially with how worn it was, and his big ears had grown on her; they were cute. She thought he was very good-looking.

The blonde quickly grinned as he looked back at her to cover up the fact she had been watching him. He responded by popping another chip in his mouth before leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms, seeming to mentally argue with himself. Finally he sighed, leaning his head back in defeat before looking back at her with an answering grin.

"So." He seemed to pause for some sort of dramatic effect. If Rose hadn't been curious about what he was going to say, she would've echoed him and stuck her tongue out. "Before I take you into the past as promised, I've got to go pick someone up." He got a faraway look in his eyes and smiled softly. "I made a promise a long time ago, and I intend to keep it to her."

Rose tensed.

_'She?'_

She knew the Doctor had a past before her, but she assumed he was a free agent what with picking her up and showing her amazing things. She knew the Doctor wasn't hers, but she was starting to fall for him and wanted him to be hers. She knew she shouldn't be jealous, but she was. She was very jealous. However, she couldn't allow the Doctor to see how much what he had said affected her. A fake smile slid into place.

"Okay! What's her name?" She placed both elbows on the table as she reached for a chip.

The Doctor thought hard for a second before grinning. "Why don't I let her tell you? Now come on; once we're finished with these, we'll go get her!"

Rose ate her chips as slowly as she could.

* * *

"I have enjoyed being your professor for these past few months. I hope you all take away something from our time together- for instance, Mr. Davis, that falling asleep in class and falling out of your chair is not a good way to start off a new semester?" The class broke out into laughter at the expense of their peer, who turned red but chuckled alongside them. "I wish you all the best of luck in the future. Now, go enjoy the sun!" The class packed up their things and filed out as the professor sat on the desk and watched them leave in twos and threes, some calling out goodbyes as they left. The professor would nod at those who did so.

Aria stood up and stretched. She had waited until almost everyone had left, as there was no point in rushing to go anywhere after the last block of the year. She gathered her things into her backpack- laptop and sketchpad, as always- before jumping down the few steps that stood between her and the bottom level. The professor raised one eyebrow in amusement as Aria approached, a mischievous smile spreading to greet Aria's grin.

"Yes, Miss Aria?"

Aria reached out her right hand to shake the professor's hand. "Thank you for holding the best class I've ever attended while managing to teach us without being boring," she jokingly said, although every word was true.

The professor took her hand and shook it, looking off over the girl's shoulder to make sure no one else was in the room before pulling Aria close enough to whisper into her ear. "It starts today." The surprised girl jerked back, black braid falling over her shoulder at the same time. Her professor merely grinned at her before turning away to sit back behind her desk as Aria didn't move. "You won't go anywhere if you keep standing there, Aria." Aria, confusion showing plainly on her face, nodded absentmindedly towards the professor before walking out of the room. She stopped once she reached the doorway.

"Professor, how do you know that?"

The professor looked up from her papers and merely winked at her. _"Spoilers."_

* * *

Aria had no idea how the professor had known what she did and her fob watch had stayed stubbornly silent on the matter. It had never done that before. Half the time, she had a problem getting it to shut up. Either way, she trusted what her professor had said. She had rushed back to her dorm room to quickly pack, making excuses to her friends she passed that she was leaving early this year. "My brother is coming to pick me up," she said. Technically, it wasn't a lie.

Now she was faced with a problem: how was she to know where the Doctor was going to land the TARDIS? She sat down on a park bench not too far from her dorm in frustration. Out of force of habit, she grabbed the chain that hung around her neck and pulled up the watch that was out of sight under her shirt.

"Can you help me with this at least?" she growled, still annoyed it stayed silent earlier.

_100 meters,_ it sounded reluctant as it replied. Aria kissed the watch in thanks before reaching down to snatch up her duffle bag and watch calmly down the path in front of her, enjoying the dappled sunlight that resided in the park. The area was quiet that day, as students were out packing, working, and enjoying the freedom of the break. It was a good type of day to land a spaceship in disguise as a big blue English police box in a park.

Aria almost kissed the TARDIS when she saw it sitting peacefully underneath a tree. She did, however, clap her hands together in joy, causing the TARDIS's door to swing open in a welcoming fashion. The girl walked in calmly though internally brimming to the edge in joy.

"Doctor!" she cried out, causing the man to look up from where he stood beside the console. She dropped her bag and ran up to him, wrapping him in a bear hug. The Time Lord laughed gleefully, securing his own arms around her waist before swinging her in a circle. Once he set her down, Aria turned to kiss the center cylinder of the TARDIS's console. "Hello, girl," she whispered, receiving an answering vibration under her feet in return.

"Well, look who grew up." Aria turned back to face the man in the leather jacket that had come to her all those years ago and opened her eyes to the wonders of the universe. His grin reminded her of the Cheshire cat's; she was surprised he managed to fit it on his face.

"Well, look who's ears didn't shrink," she teased, reaching up to flick one. The Doctor mock frowned at her but lit up as he saw the golden watch swinging from the chain around her neck.

"You still have it," he said softly, brushing a finger over the accessory.

"Damn right I still have it," Aria sassed back, proudly putting a hand on her hip. "Wouldn't give it up for the world- any world."

The Doctor nodded proudly. "Good girl." His eyes roamed her face for a second longer before he turned back towards the TARDIS's console. "So much to do, so much to see, and so little time!"

"Doctor, this is a _time machine,_" Aria said with emphasis.

He rolled his eyes and pointed off down the hallway that branched off from the main room. "The TARDIS will lead you to your room; it'll be right next to mine. Go get your stuff settled and then come back out here; Rose and I will be waiting for you."

"Rose" as in "Rose Tyler," Aria assumed. Her watch had talked about her a bit, not enough to tell anything time-altering though. She saluted the Doctor before picking up her bag again and disappearing off down the hallway, following the twisting corridor the TARDIS provided for her. The girl stopped as a blonde in a hoodie and jeans opened one of the doors lining the path. Both of them paused all movements to survey the other.

Aria didn't like how the girl tensed as if threatened.

"Hi," Aria said with a smile, holding out her hand for the other to shake. "You must be Rose Tyler. I'm Aria."

Rose looked surprised that Aria knew her name, but shook her hand nonetheless. "You're the girl the Doctor was talking about." A hostile look flashed across her face as she glanced at Aria closely.

"Is something wrong?"

Rose crossed her arms and huffed. "Actually, yeah. The Doctor and I were doing great. I helped him save London, he took me to the end of the world." Her eyes narrowed. "I don't see where you fit into the equation. I don't see why he decided to get you now."

Aria's eyebrows went up as she listened to Rose. "Are you being serious? I've known him since I was _five_." Then it hit her: "Are you jealous of me and him?" Rose's silence was all the confirmation she needed. "Rose, he's like my _brother_. That is absolutely disgusting. That's like incest!" Aria put both hands on her hips in exasperation. "Trust me, I won't meet who's mine for a while."

"How do I know you aren't lying?"

Aria just shrugged. "Not my problem. My problem is you suggesting that I'm involved with the Doctor like that." She walked past Rose, ignoring the glare sent her way. "However, I will be watching to see if you're compatible with him."

The blonde looked extremely offended. "Excuse me, how dare-" She stopped as Aria turned to look her dead in the eyes.

"I dare because that man has been through things neither of us can imagine. If you hurt him, I won't forgive you. If he hurts you, he won't forgive himself."

Rose scoffed. "He won't hurt me. He's the Doctor."

_"Exactly."_

Aria pivoted on her heel and continued walking the opposite direction, only stopping once the TARDIS gave a gentle nudge into her mind.

"Thank you, girl," she said as her door slid open. Inside was almost an exact replica of her dorm room, except for the absence of her roommate's stuff and the fact that her bed had changed from a twin to a queen. It was placed against the wall on one side, with a desk underneath a large pushpin board where Aria would display all of the sketches she completed. A door led to what she assumed to be a bathroom, and a closet was next to it. Aria did her best to quickly hang up all of her clothes while still seething over her encounter with Rose. She hadn't meant to get off on the wrong foot with the girl, but Rose had just rubbed her the wrong way. The Doctor had never appealed to her in that way, as his voices inside the fob watch always told her about the soldier that would sweep her off her feet. The Doctor had been a big brother looking out for her; the big brother she had always wanted.

Her mother had died giving birth to her, and her father was always away on business trips. On top of that, he wasn't much of a kid person. That's how she found herself with a different nanny every six months, "so they didn't get too attached." She had been lonely when she was little, but soon grew out of that phase as she began to stand up for herself. Her world was made larger by this and the watch the Doctor had given her, as language barriers were nonexistent for her. She did her best in everything, otherwise she would be vexed with herself as she knew her limits and wouldn't allow anyone to tell her she couldn't do something. She wouldn't take shit from anyone.

Of course, this led to several issues with "figures of authority" and people unused to being fought against as they were always the ones sassing off... for instance, Rose Tyler.

Aria sighed and sat on her bed as she dropped her now-emptied bag. "Girl, do you like Rose?"

The TARDIS hummed reassuringly.

"Fine, fine," Aria muttered. "I won't kill her in her sleep."

If the TARDIS could laugh, she would've.

Aria stood up and skipped to the door. "Let's see what Rose and the Doctor have to offer then." She smiled slightly as she heard a quiet whisper coming from within her watch as she ran off down the hallway.

_Home._

* * *

**A/N: Don't forget to review! :)**


	6. The Unquiet Dead: Ghost of the Future

**A/N: Aria is around 7 months older than Rose at least, as she just finished her first year of college and would be around 20, whereas Rose is 19.**

**Just to clear up any questions and/or complaints on my sporadic updating: I post when I finish a chapter. That make take 2 days, that may take 2 weeks. I will try and do my best to keep them somewhat regular, but I do not want to make any false promises. Trust me, I don't forget about writing this.**

**Don't forget to review! **

* * *

"Should she be shaking like this?" Aria asked as the Doctor raced around the console, a mad grin on his face. He ignored her question, something that would soon become routine, and instead pointed vaguely at the controls opposite of where he stood.

"Rose, hold that one down!"

The blonde stared at him, laughter flickering in her eyes. "I'm holding THIS one down!"

The Doctor glanced at her briefly before turning back to look at the screen in front of him as his hands flew across the switches. "Well, then hold them both down!"

Aria rolled her eyes at both of them. "It's not gonna work," she called from where she stood. Her smile widened as she felt the TARDIS's amusement at the other two.

"Quiet you," the Doctor pointed at her teasingly before leaning around the controls to meet Rose's eyes. "I promised you a time machine, and that's exactly what you're getting!" He distractedly pressed a few more buttons and levers, not noticing Aria undo his actions and pull separate levers. "Now, you've had a look at the future; let's have a look at the past!" He looked proud of himself once he proclaimed the fact, only expecting the best from his TARDIS, of course. As the ship continued to tumble through the time vortex, he seemed to have more of an idea of where they were going. "How does 1860 sound?"

Aria had a feeling that they weren't going to land in 1860. As she clung to one of the coral structures in the TARDIS, she mused to herself about it all.

Rose, Rose Tyler: now this most definitely was the girl that had been mentioned so often by two of the voices in her watch, sometimes even a third. The girl acted all innocent and almost... as if she could do no wrong.

Aria didn't like people like that. No one was perfect, and people who thought that they were justified in everything they did usually ended up causing problems for not only themselves but also everyone around them. Thinking you were perfect or could do no wrong would eventually end up with someone dead, Aria was certain of it. Besides, it wasn't hard to tell Rose had a thing for the Doctor. The two traits combined would lead to something bad.

"Hold on, here we go!" Aria snapped back to the present as the Doctor made his excited warning. She inwardly groaned, the TARDIS's erratic movements already proving to her that he had no control over any driving situation. Her evidence was given that moment as the ship jarred to a stop, knocking the Doctor and Rose off their feet and into each other. The only reason Aria hadn't fallen was from her tight grip on the ship's structure. She couldn't help but smile as the other two burst out laughing, but closely watched the blonde's expression as she ever so quickly glanced at the Doctor with a slight bit more than friendly admiration.

"Blimey!" Rose said as the two rose to their feet. The Doctor grinned once again.

"You're telling me!" He turned to look at Aria. "Are you both alright?"

Aria almost snickered as a flash of annoyance crossed Rose's face at not being the center of his attention. "I'm not sure, you're the doctor" she said with teasing emphasis on his chosen name. Both she and Rose broke into a fit of giggles.

"Same with me! Nothing's broken... did we make it? Where are we?" She attempted to read what was on the TARDIS's screen.

The Doctor looked over her shoulder before raising both arms triumphantly. "Give the man a medal! Right where we wanted to be: Earth, Naples; December 24th, 1860." He pointed to each on the screen as he said them, moving over to let Aria see once she sauntered over.

"That's strange..." Aria trailed off confusedly as she read.

Rose nodded. "Yeah, it's Christmas."

The other girl shook her head. "No that's not it," she murmured, but low enough so the Doctor wouldn't hear. He wasn't focusing on her anyways, as he was gesturing Rose towards the door. "All yours."

The blonde glanced all around before letting her gaze rest upon the Doctor again. "But... think about it. This Christmas, in 1860, only happens once and then it's gone." Her tone became near accusatory. "Except for with either of you." Aria didn't bother to even look at her, which just added fuel towards Rose's argument. "Anything that's dead, you can go back and see. A hundred thousand sunsets ago, all in your reach." She crossed her arms. "No wonder you never stay still." Her smile returned as she looked back at the Doctor.

"Not a bad life," he concluded. He knew, and so did Aria, that that wasn't the only reason he kept running, but he tended to push thoughts like that far away.

"Better with two."

This little English girl was really starting to piss Aria off. The raven haired girl's eyes narrowed. The TARDIS vibrated softly beneath her fingers as an angry tear slid down her face and hit the console. She tuned out what the other two were saying and centered her world on the warmth of her fob watch, still hung around her neck. Her fear of the Doctor taking back the accessory had vanished now, as he would have by then.

A gentle hand placed on her shoulder caused her to look up, slightly surprised when she found herself looking into the Doctor's clear eyes. "Aria, tell me really, are you alright?"

She faintly smiled and nodded. "I was just cross-checking the landing information. I hate to tell you Doctor," even though she was doing her best to keep from laughing, "but this ain't Naples." The alien rolled his eyes before walking to the underbelly of the console and bending down, allowing his to peer up into the wiring. He snatched his screwdriver out of one of his pockets before flicking it on. Aria wasn't sure if he was actually fixing something or faking it. "Where'd you send Rose off to, Theta?"

He kept his eyes fixed on whatever was in front of him. "Well we couldn't send her off into 1860 dressed as she was. She'd be considered half naked!"

Aria looked down at herself, wondering how she'd be viewed. Skinny jeans, converse, and a long sleeve under a leather jacket. Not exactly what was considered "appropriate" for women at that time either. "What about me?"

"What about you?"

She stuck her tongue out, knowing he didn't see her do it. "Won't my apparel be scandalous?"

"Nope!"

"Why not?"

He looked up, an honest glimmer in his eyes. "Because you'll be too busy saving their lives for them to care." He opened his mouth, ready to elaborate if Rose hadn't unknowingly chosen that moment to twirl back into the room. Aria almost facepalmed as he caught sight of the blonde with his mouth still open as his brain attempted to process the image of the pretty blonde in her long pink skirt and black corset with a matching shawl draped over her shoulders. "Blimey!"

Rose jokingly pouted. "Don't laugh!"

"He's not." Rose looked just as surprised as Aria felt when she heard herself speak. "You really do look gorgeous, Rose." Their eyes met, and Aria felt as if the girl hated her a bit less now.

The Doctor's voice cut into the moment. "That is considering..." he died off, looking away from Rose to mouth a questioning "What was that about?" in Aria's direction. The sound of the sonic screwdriver finally stopped.

The younger girl crossed her arms. "Considering what?"

The Time Lord looked back up at her as if disappointed. "That you're human!" Aria literally facepalmed.

"Now I understand the arrogance that caused the "Lord" part of your species' name," she groaned.

Rose laughed, forgetting about the Doctor's backhanded complement. "Doctor, aren't you going to change?"

He finally jumped to his feet, mock offended. "Can't you tell I've changed my jumper?"

"No," the girls chorused. He glared at the two before making his way towards the door, only to be intercepted by Rose.

"You two," she pointed at both of them in turn, "stay there! You've done it before. This is mine!" She skipped down to the door as best she could in high heels and a dress.

Aria looked up as the Doctor's pinkie finger softly interlocked with hers. "Why didn't you say you haven't done it before?"

She didn't want to lie to him, but she wasn't sure how much she was allowed to say. "Because that would be lying." The Doctor rocked back onto his heels, but Aria pulled him out through the door before he could say anything and before Rose could wander off.

* * *

The thing that struck Aria first was that the snow seemed just like snow that had fallen in her time, 150 years later. Still white and fluffy, still adding to the whole delicate holiday image that went hand in hand with Christmas. The street was narrow, only a single gas lamp giving a light that reflected off the snow, showing the cream color buildings quite easily. A picture perfect winter town.

The crunching of snow under feet alerted Aria that the Doctor wasn't waiting up for the two girls to come to grips with the situation. She turned towards the blonde, offering out her arm. Rose looked at her with a querying expression, but accept the gesture. The two, now arm in arm, walked off together quickly to catch up to the Doctor.

"I got the flight a bit wrong," the Doctor said as he scanned a newspaper he had just bought off a rugged man on the side of the street. His eyebrows were drawn together in a mix of confusion and annoyance.

"I don't care," Rose shrugged with a smile, eyes wide as she gazed at the busy road like a child on Christmas morning.

Aria laughed. "I told you that something was off!"

He grumbled under his breath as he fell in step beside the girls. "It's not 1860, it's 1869."

This still didn't diminish Rose's excitement. "I don't care."

"It's Cardiff."

"HA!" Aria thrust one hand into the air, blushing as the two chuckled a bit. "I told you we weren't in Naples," her expression sliding into one of subtle triumph.

Rose glared at her in annoyance, whether from only being in Cardiff or Aria calling out the Doctor's mistake, the younger girl wasn't sure. "Next time, why don't you try flying it then?" she hissed.

Aria stopped in her tracks, wrenching her arm from Rose in the process. Her fob watch pulsed softly, its own way of comforting her when her temper rose. She had no respect or time for anyone who would treat her like that. The Doctor was the one constant in her life, whereas this girl had barely even met the man and she was standing up for him because of a crush. She had no patience for someone who would insult her so blatantly, especially when the Brit hadn't even given her a damn chance before acting so rudely. She was acting out of fear that Aria would take the Doctor away from her.

The three travelers looked up at the marble steps of the theatre building in front of them as screams broke out from inside. A panicked crowd of people all dressed in formal wear began to flood out from the building inside. Several ladies were crying about a ghost and an old woman as they were assisted down the steps by some gentlemen.

The Doctor grinned. "That's more like it!" He tossed the paper over his shoulder before running in excitement towards the chaos, shoving his way through. Rose followed him, calling out his name as she went. Aria attempted to enter the building in the same fashion, but was caught unaware as a hand reached out to grab her wrist from the side of the steps, only succeeding in tripping her up. She cried out, falling backwards so that she hit her head on the steps. No one even noticed, as they were only concerned on escaping the terrors inside the hall.

Aria blinked blearily as she felt someone kneel next to her, swearing under their breath. She figured her life wasn't in danger; she would have been dead by now if it was. She didn't fight off the blackness that washed over her eyes, savoring the image of blue eyes staring worriedly at her as she fell unconscious.

* * *

Aria didn't want the warmth she felt pressed against the entire left side of her body to ever leave her. She assumed that she was leaning against a person from the steady rise and fall of movement that accompanied the producer of the warmth. The worn feel of a thick coat brushed underneath her fingers as she tightened her arms around whatever she was holding close to her chest. Her head was tipped to the side, resting in the crook of the person's neck. The soft melody they hummed floated through the air, covering up the sound of the rhythmic rattle of carriage wheels hitting snow-covered cobblestones and drowning out the earlier screaming that echoed in her ears. With a jolt, Aria recognized the song as one she had sung ever since she was a little girl. She didn't believe in coincidences, especially not if you were a time traveler.

Her eyes flew open and she leaned away from the person she was propped up against, bringing a hand to the back of her skull slowly as her head reeled from the motion.

She fought to keep herself from becoming violently sick inside of a stranger's carriage. Looking up finally at the heat and music source next to her, she found herself staring at a strikingly handsome man (not that she'd admit it out loud). His brown hair was longer than the current Doctor's and stuck up a bit, though not enough to be labeled as spiky. It was pushed more to one side and still managed to fall over a bit of his forehead. Nothing blocked the intensity that resided in his bright eyes. They bored into her own hazel eyes making it take an extra moment for her to think straight, although she blamed it on the probable concussion she had sustained.

"Why am I sitting next to you?" she asked, wincing at the bluntness of her own words.

The man smiled, and if teeth could shine, Aria was sure his did. "Second best seat on the planet, gorgeous."

She rolled her eyes, deciding to play along with the blatant game he was playing. "What would be the best seat then?"

The answering smirk let her know she had lost. "Why, my lap of course." He winked.

"Keep going with that train of thought and I'll slap you."

A shadow flickered across his face, and she could tell that he was doing his absolute best not to let it slide through his mask. "I'm sure you would."

Aria removed her hand from the back of her head and ran it down her face, sighing in misplaced guilt. She was getting so fucking sick of meeting people in the wrong order; it was almost like toying with their emotions. She couldn't control this fact either, which just made her feel way worse. The universe was a cruel mistress sometimes. Especially, as from the looks of it, she meant a lot to this man. And now, he had to look at her and know that he was a complete stranger.

"Unless it's the first time for both people it sucks," she muttered, unaware it was out loud. She looked up as he chuckled good-naturedly.

"Sunshine, don't you worry; I can still make your first time out of this world," he winked again and laughed even harder as her mouth fell open. Like someone had flicked a switch, he sobered suddenly. "I know what you meant, Miss Gles."

"If you know what I meant, you should also know not to call me that," she said, desperately wanting to see his smile return. It did. The man took her right hand in his and raised it, bending his head down the rest of the way to press his lips to the back of it. Aria was struck by his formalness, mainly because he had just demonstrated his skill at dirty jokes. "You still haven't told me your name," she murmured, wishing she hadn't. Names could be a dangerous thing when you messed with time.

"Names can be a dangerous thing when you mess with time," he unknowingly echoed her thoughts almost word for word. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I hate to keep anything from you, Aria, but you'll have to wait a bit before you learn that."

Aria nodded nervously, interlocking her fingers together. "So I definitely will see you again?"

The blinding smile returned. "Oh yes. We'll have quite the adventure together, Aria. You just wait and see."

She nodded again, feeling a bit robotic at the moment. She tried to think of some sort of signal they could have to know when they were caught up once more, when they saw each other at this point in his life. If they ever did. Her braid brushed up against her shoulder as the carriage hit a particularly nasty stone in the road, and it was as if a light bulb went off above her head. "Wait," she told him as she untied the ribbon that kept the braid in. "Wear this," she tied it around his wrist, "and next time you see me, give it back. That way I'll know we've been here and you'll know I've caught up with your past."

The man stared at her for a moment before laughing loudly, his head thrown back in delight. "Always are a clever one, aren't you? Alright then, Aria." He smiled down at Aria before smoothly reach out and undoing the remains of her braid with a few quick gestures of his hand. "I like your hair down too," he whispered conspiratorially, lips brushing against her ears as he did so. He let out a breathy chuckle and leaned back once again, only after he had placed a lingering kiss on her cheek.

Aria wondered if he had purposefully time his action because the carriage stopped moving then.

"The Doctor and Rose are inside," he waved his hand towards a narrow townhouse across from the carriage door. Aria gave him her thanks, unsure of what else to say to someone who knew her but she didn't know. She settled on giving him a similar peck on the cheek (and hoping she wouldn't live to regret it) before bolting out of the vehicle as towards the building. The sound of hooves and wheels clacking against the street's surface were her cue to relax slightly, and only then did she knock loudly on the door, hoping that the Doctor could hear her through whatever mayhem he might've been involved in. Aria's luck must have been high, because a few heartbeats later the door swung open and she was greeted with the grinning face of the Doctor alongside a slightly distraught Rose. Aria wondered what had happened to the girl that would upset her so much.

"There you are, Aria!" The Doctor pulled her out of the winter chill and into the warmer building. "You've missed some of the fun!"

Rose seemed to disagree with his last statement, and Aria couldn't help but snicker.


	7. The Unquiet Dead: Night Changes

"First of all," Rose pointed furiously at the old man who was cornered in his velveted high-back chair and glared at him furiously, "you drug me, then you kidnap me," her voice rose, "and don't think I didn't feel your hands having a quick wander, you dirty old man." Her fierce gaze caused the man to deflate a bit before pulling his shoulders back once the Doctor's sniggers reached his ears.

"I won't be spoken to like this, young lady!" he spat.

Aria rolled her eyes as Rose plowed on, ignoring him. "Then you stuck me in a room full of zombies!" Her hands exasperatedly slapped against her thighs. "And if that ain't enough, you swan off! And leave me to die!" Aria thought she would be great at anything from interrogating prisoners to guilt-tripping kids who had been caught with their hand in the cookie jar. "So come on, talk!"

If the old man, Mr. Sneed, as she'd been told he was called, hadn't answered the hot-blooded Londoner, Aria was certain he would have had a candleabra held threatenly under his chin. Not that she would've had any problem with such an action...

"It's not my fault, it's this house!" He paused, eyes widening as he quickly glanced at the other occupants in the room, realizing he was caught. "It always had a... reputation." A shadow flickered across his face. "Haunted." He shivered. "But I never had much bother until a few months back. And then the stiffs..." Sneed quickly ammended himself once he caught sight of the angry and offended expression on Charles Dicken's face. "...the er, dear departed started getting restless."

"Tommyrot." Dickens snorted. As Aria hadn't witnessed the event, she couldn't give her opinion on it. But, knowing how trouble was a magnet for the Doctor, she believed 100 percent that what was going on was real. It amused and saddened her to see Dickens dismiss the fact that there were many unknowns to the world, however it did make sense. It was something the Doctor would truly never understand.

Sneed huffed in annoyance and amazement at his persisted denail. "You witnissed it! Can't keep the beggars down, sir!" He leaned forward and lowered his voice to a conspiritional level. "They walk. And it's the queerest thing that they hang on to scraps..."

Aria's attention on the conversation was broken as the servant girl, _Gwyneth_, the watch whispered, brought over two cups of tea on a platter to her and the Doctor in the corner where they stood. "Two sugars, sir, just how you like it." The Doctor peered at the girl curiously over the teacup he now held; Gwyneth avoided his gaze by cleverly turning to hand Aria's hers. "I know you don't prefer tea, but this always helps soothe me after a rough encounter." Aria's eyebrows rose in surprise at the girl's statement. It wasn't that she was wrong, but she shouldn't have known such a fact. The two travelers watched the brunette as she retreated, both trains of thought along the same line.

"Telepathic?" Aria whispered without turning to look at him.

"No," the Doctor mused, sipping on his tea in delight. "Possibly psychic. She's definitely human though." He looked up back towards the old men. "Oh, Charles, you were there." Aria sensed that the writer was once again dimissing the possibility of other worldly inhabitants.

Dickens huffed vexedly. "I saw nothing but an illusion. A trick of the mind, which I wouldn't be surprised if you set up."

The Time Lord clenched his jaw, and inwardly Aria groaned in frustration. "If you're going to deny it, don't waste my time. Just- just shut up."

The room fell into stunned silence as they all stared at the man in the leather jacket. Aria could tell that Rose was a bit shocked by his curtness and that she hadn't seen this side of the man.

Deciding the awkwardness had stretched long enough, she lifted the tea cup to her lips and asked, "What about the gas?" before taking a long sip.

Sneed replied in his wavering voice. "I've never seen anything like it before, miss. It's new."

"The rift's getting wider..." Aria heard the Doctor say before she felt a warm shock enter her chest from her watch.

_Be ready..._ it whispered.

'But for what?' Aria thought.

* * *

For her death.

Aria had never been in such pain as she stood under the archway in the morgue's basement, desperately trying to force the Gelth back into the rift where they were slowly dying. Her eyes were open wide, arms out to each side and mouth stretched in a silent scream as the spirit-like creatures poured through her into their universe. She had pushed Gwyneth out of the way when the ghostly figures had beckoned her to save them, and she had no regrets for her actions...

But she did feel absolutely terrible for the Doctor's horrified expression when he saw what her actions had accomplished. Rose didn't warrant a glance, not when so much energy was being spent trying to close the bridge between worlds that she had become. She saw the Gelth enter the deceased bodies. She saw them kill Sneed and corner Rose and the Doctor into a small alcove behind bars. In the back of her mind, she wondered why none harmed them still body of the servant girl.

None of her thoughts could distract her from the agonizing fire that ran through her veins, attacking every nerve in her body. She wondered if this was how regenerating felt to the Doctor.

The Doctor.

She couldn't let him down.

Aria screamed his name, and the walls of the rift came crashing shut around her, shoving her back into the oblivion of the Time Vortex.

She knew that students at the Academy on Gallifrey stared into the Vortex at a young age. Some grew from what they saw. Some when mad. Some ran.

The Doctor ran.

Aria couldn't.

The swirling chaos wrapped around her and tore her apart at the same time, sending her tumbling. She felt like a kitten in a tornado, helpless. Her scream was torn from her throat as she hurtled through time and space. She didn't notice that the watch hanging around her neck was glowing a bright gold and was burning to touch. She didn't notice that her lacerations from falling on the steps earlier had spirals of gold matter flowing into them, entering her circulatory system. She couldn't tell that her irises were now rimmed in gold.

Aria only knew she was on fire.

She called out to the only person who cared.

The world stilled.

The pain stopped.

Aria's eyes shut in relief and she lost herself in darkness once more, but not before hearing some cry out her name from somewhere in the distance.


	8. After a Doomed Day

**A/N: New year, new me. I apologize for not posting, but this past year has been a bit rough for me. I promise to do better this year, and I have far more lovely twists and turns for this story that several months ago never had occurred to me. Thank you for sticking with me so far, I love you all. My PM box is always open to y'all! ~Archie**

Next thing she new, she was stumbling out of a startling white wall into a room with broken glass, abandoned desks, and a man in a brown suit. He was standing off to the side, his arm dropping limply from one of two black cemented hooks in the room, and his eyes focused blankly on the wall Aria had just appeared out of.

She was fine with that for the time being and shut her eyes closed tightly as she tried to process what happened to her. Ears ringing with a sound akin to a song and skin tingling as if she held a static charge, curling up in a ball on the floor seemed like a pretty good idea. Every part of her felt sore and it took several moments to not throw up the bile that rose in her throat. Finally opening her eyes again, the first thing she fully noticed was her hand that lay in her line of sight. She did take notice in the back of her mind that her entire body was shaking, but the silver mist hovering over her skin immediately grabbed her attention. She shot into an upright position and crawled backwards until her back hit the wall, all the while still staring at her hand. The raven haired girl didn't pay attention to the robotic movements of the Doctor as he walked to a space next to her and pressed the side of his face against the structure. Aria still took no notice of his actions, instead trying to sort out her thoughts, as her watch was silent on the matter at hand.

_I know it had something to do with the rift, because I somehow linked up to it while standing under that blasted archway... Did I fall into it? I don't think I'm dead, so maybe not. Time travel maybe..._ She was cut off as a set of hands grabbed her arms and slid her up the wall into a standing position. Only then did she finally see the fury and loss in the ancient eyes of her Time Lord friend.

"Where the HELL have you BEEN!" he shouted furiously, slamming her against the constricting surface behind her. She cried out, more in shock than pain. She could feel each of his fingers digging into her upper arms and assumed she'd find bruises at the end of this encounter.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied in a hoarse voice neither being expected. Aria didn't dwell on it, instead racing through any explanation that could cause such rage in the usually collected alien.

"We had no idea where you were for days!" he hissed through his teeth. "Now you show up and Rose is gone! She's gone!" He breathed deeply, speaking his next words as if wounded. "Is this some kind of cruel payback for what happened to Jack? Look," his voice broke, "I'm sorry about him! We were a great group, the four of us." He breathed deeply, and the girl hoped he was about to calm. "But I needed you and you weren't there."

Aria wished that he had screamed those words at her rather than whisper them.

She finally broke down and began to dry sob, as no tears seemed to want to form. "I'm sorry Doctor, but I don't know what's going on!" Glancing up to see a now stony expression from the grieving man made it a bit easier to talk to him. "I just came from a basement in eighteen-eighties Cardiff, and I don't know what's going on." With everything that had just been thrown at her, the girl had no idea she was being repetitive.

The silence seemed to stretch on forever after her admittance until the Doctor gave a shaky laugh and released his grip on her, turning away and running a hand through his hair. "So this was your first jump," he mumbled before laughing a tad madly once more. Aria couldn't find it in herself to move at all, still in shock from the events she had just gone through.

"Jump?"

He turned back like he had forgotten her existence in the room. "I'm sure I'll explain it soon." The Doctor gestured at her whole body casually. "You've got that silver glow, so I suspect you'll be leaving any second now."

Looking back down at her hands through blurring vision, she noticed that the silvery glow around her was growing stronger, and she was reminded of the soft glow around the TARDIS when it landed. Aria opened her mouth to respond just as the gentle tingling from earlier recommenced throughout her body, this time with an accompanying warmth that slowly began to rise until she felt as if she was on fire. This time she gritted her teeth, determined not to cry out. Her world went black once again.


End file.
